The present invention relates to slings for firearms and the like, and particularly to a sling for carrying a weapon in a generally horizontal position of readiness.
In order to be able to use shoulder weapons such as rifles and the like as quickly as possible, yet have freedom to use their hands, soldiers and hunters would prefer to carry such weapons in a forwardly or laterally directed position with the weapon upright and its barrel or main longitudinal axis approximately horizontal. This position is known as a horizontal ready position.
Rifles, particularly military rifles, have long been equipped with slings permitting them to be carried without encumbering the carrier's hands. Such slings are also useful in bracing such weapons during use, to achieve a better aim. Such slings have conventionally been located on the bottom of a rifle or similar weapon, at least partly because location at the top of the weapon might interfere with using sights mounted low on the top of the weapon. Conventional slings, however, do not permit a weapon to be carried suspended by the sling in the preferred horizontal ready position, and moving the point of attachment of a sling to the top of a weapon so that it might be carried in a horizontal ready position has previously resulted in the sling interfering with the ability to quickly raise the weapon to the proper position against the user's shoulder. For example, when a sling is attached at the top of the rear end of the butt stock, raising the weapon to a horizontal position with the butt end against the shoulder of the user might result in the sling being caught between the butt end and the user's shoulder, or lying across the top of the cheek rest area of the stock, where it would adversely affect the ability to aim the weapon quickly and accurately. Since the ability to carry a weapon in the so-called "horizontal ready" position can provide a definite advantage in quickness of use either in hunting or in infantry warfare, it is desirable to provide a sling which has this capability, in conjunction with the ability to be used in the conventional manner.
Brokus U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,109 discloses a gun sling including a socket loosely fitted to the underside of the rear of the stock, to facilitate carrying a gun in a horizontal ready position. The socket taught by Brokus, however, is undesirably bulky and apparently does not positively remain in place unless tension is maintained in the sling.
Moomaw U.S. Pat. No. 2,915,233 teaches a gun sling including a stock-supporting loop or socket which enables a gun to be carried in a horizontal ready position. Raising the gun from a horizontal ready position to a normal firing position with its stock against the user's shoulder, however, completely disconnects the rear end of the sling from the stock, requiring it to be replaced on the stock before the sling can be used subsequently to carry the gun in any position whatever.
Somple U.S. Pat. No. 3,211,351 and Saari et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,334,794 disclose gun slings which are fastened to a forward portion of a gun and also around the stock of the gun at a position adjacent a pistol grip substantially forward of the rear end of the stock. This position of attachment adjacent the pistol grip portion of a stock permits the weapon to be carried conveniently. However, it creates an undesirable potential for interference with use of the weapon, as the sling would pass under the user's arm when the weapon is raised to the user's shoulder from a horizontal ready position.
Arpin U.S. Pat. No. 2,885,812 provides a detachable swivel connection to attach an end of a gun sling to a side of the butt end of a gun stock. While such a sling can be used to carry a rifle or the like in position approximating the horizontal ready position which is most desirable, the connection of the sling to the side of the stock would tend to interfere with use of the sling in the conventional manner to carry the rifle.
What is needed, therefore, is a sling assembly which can be used in the same manner as a conventional rifle sling, yet can also be used to carry a weapon in a position of readiness in which the weapon is upright with its longitudinal main axis directed generally horizontally, and which does not interfere with the ability to raise the weapon rapidly and bring the butt end of its stock to the user's shoulder in a proper position for use of the weapon.